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G. A. RANDALL. Telegraphic Relay and Repeater.

No. 241,067. Patented May 3,1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. RANDALL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO PHILIP G. RAN- DALL,OF SAME PLACE.

TELEGRAPHIC RELAY AND REPEATER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 241,067, dated May 3,1881.

Application filed March 11, 1881. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES A. RANDALL, acitizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of NewYork and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inTelegraphic Relays and Repeat ers, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a telegraphic relay or repeater especiallyadapted for use in telegraphic systems in which the connnunications arereceived by chemical recorders or registers. It is, however, applicablein other systems and for use in lieu of the ordinary relay.

In chemical-telegraph systems, when the line over which a message istransmitted exceeds a certain length the speed of reception of themessage by the chemical is very greatly re d ucedsay from twenty-five toseve11ty-five1' e1' cent.as is well known. Many causes contrib- 2o uteto this reduction of speed, but chiefly the resistance of the line andthe retardation of the current, and inability to carry the rapidimpulses definitely and of sufticient force to produce the requisitechemical or electrolytic effect. As a consequence the message for longdistances must be repertorated and retransmitted at one or moreintermediate stations.

Various devices have been employed having in view the re-enforcement ofthe current, the 0 obtaining of rapid and distinct recording over longcircuits, and the obviation of the reperforation and retransmission; butso far as I am aware none of these devices has proven efl'ectual, allbeing sluggish in action, limited in speed, and requiring frequentadjustment.

The object of mypresent invention is to overcome the difficultiesreferred to and insure the prompt receiving and recording of the rapidimpulses by means of a relay working auto- 0 matically in a localcircuit and translating said impulses into strong pulsations from alocal battery, in circuit with which is the chemical recordingapparatus, such an arrangement being especially designed for droppingcopies 4 at intermediate stations. It also has for its object to producein a second or other main circuit, by means of an automaticrepeatingrelay, impulses corresponding exactly to those produced in afirst or initial main circuit from a transmitter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view, partly insection, of my improved relay arranged to control a local-batterycircuit, in which is arranged a chemical recording apparatus. Fig. 2 isa similar view of a modified form of the apparatus arranged to sendcurrents of" alternately-opposite direction upon a second main line.

Referring to Fig. 1, the letter A designates an electro-magnet, to beincluded in the main line and arranged to slide on supports to, its corehaving projecting rearwardly from it a screw, B, which passes through anaperture in a post, 0, and has upon its projecting portion a nut, c.Surrounding the said screw, between the post and end of the magnet, is aspring, the tendency of which is to force the magnet toward thediaphragmatic armature D, which is held between clamping-rings e 0,supported upon the base of the instrument.

From the center of the diaphragm or armature l), which should, ofcourse, be of a magnetic metal, projects a metallic arm, G, having itsend bent to form a finger, The legs h h of a forked metallic arm, H,terminate on opposite sides of the finger g, and these tips are bentslightly toward said linger, so as to alternately make contact therewithwhen the finger vibrates. The lower end of the arm H is pivoted lightlyto a short post, I, and is so balanced that when the finger g is betweenits legs the leg h will rest normally by gravity against aninsulatingcushion attached to said arm, but which may be secured uponsaid finger; orit maybe held in contact therewith by a suitable spring.The arms h h may be adjusted toward each other by means of a screw, m,which passes through both, their elasticity serving to separate them. Anadj ustablescrew-- stop, 7;, limits the outward movement of the arm.

It will be observed that the distance between the contact-points-thatis, the ends of the legs h h and the arm g-is readily adjustable, andthat the separation of these points to a greater distance or irregularlyis impossible, from the fact that one leg of the forked arm acts as astop for the other, so that the finger has always the same distance totravel in order to make contact with either. The magnet A and thecontact-points being once adjusted for use, ordinarily no furtheradjustment is required.

The forked arm H is connected by a wire, I, with one pole of a localbattery, M, the other pole of which is connected by a wire, 1, with theaxis of the metallic wheel Not the record ing apparatus 0, and thefinger g is connected with the pen or style 1?, the point of which bearslightly upon the strip of paper g, which moves over the periphery ofsaid wheel in the ordinary manner in such instruments.

In Fi 2 the eleetro-ma-gnet A is constructed in all respects as themagnet A in Fig. 1, but is energized by a local battery, the mag net Abeing the main-line magnet in Fig. 2. This main-line magnet is simply ahelix with an open central space, through which the core It extendswithout touching the helix. This core is firmly attached to thediaphragmatic armature D, which is supported and provided with ametallic arm, G, having a finger, g, the same as the diaphragmaticarmature in Fig.1. In Fig. 2, however, the finger g is arranged betweenthe tips of two arms, S S, provided with platina facings s s, the fingerbeing pro vided with platina points to come in contact with said facings. The arms S S are both secured at their lower ends to a block, T, ofhard rubber or other rigid insulatin g material, which is carried at theupper end of a platespring, a, secured to the base of the instrument.The arms S and S are, respectively, connected by suitable wires with theopposite ends of a line-battery, V, the middle of which is connected tothe ground. The movement of the arms S S is limited by suitableadjustable stop-screws, and said arms may be, by means of a screw, m,adjusted toward each other, to regulate the distance the finger g isrequired to move to make contact with an arm after separation fromanother. This distance being always the same and very short, contactwill be surely made at each half-vibration of the diaphragmatic armatureD, core R, and the finger g, under the influence of the pulsations overa first or initial main line, which also traverse the helix A. Theaction of the main-line magnet is very forcible, from the fact that asthe core B is magnetized by the current traversing the helix A it isstrongly attracted by the magnetized core of the local magnet A thepolarities being, ofcourse, properly arranged. The finger g is connectedwith the line, and as it alternately comes in contact with the arms Sand S, currents of opposite polarity or direction traverse the saidline, a connection being alternately made therewith from opposite endsof the battery V.

In the modification as in Fig.1 no readjustments are required after theparts are once adjusted for use.

In both the modifications shown carbon contact-points may be used, and,if desired, supported by springs, so that they may yield under pressureof the contact-fingers and resume their normal position as the pressureis removed, theincreasiug and decreasing contactpressure varying thefiow ot' the current.

The legs h h and arms S S may be made slightly pliable, and platinapoints be used with substantially the same result. as when the carbonpoints are used.

The armature may be a flat piece of iron in front of the magnet, securedand confined rigidly at the ends and slightly pliable, instead of thediaphragmatic form.

The contact-points may be varied in many ways without departing from themain principleto wit, obtaining a rapid circuit-closing device actuatedand controlled by the limited movement of a confined armature under theinfluence of an eleetro-magnet, as and for the purposes set forth.

In an application for Letters Patent heretofore filed I have describedand shown the combination of an electro-magnet in one circuit and atension-changer in another circuit and operated by said magnet, and Itherefore do not here claim such combination.

WVhat I claim is-- The combination, with a confined elastic armaturearranged for operation by an electromagnet, of a metallic contact-pointcarried by said armature, and two other contact-points, either or bothelectrical, arranged to be operated by the action of the armature, andarranged to yield together, but to preserve a fixed distance from eachother, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CHARLES A RANDALL.

\Vitnesses I G. RANDALL, Gno. M. BAKER.

